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General Assembly Committee Bill No. 186
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 5008
Referred to Committee on GENERAL LAW
Introduced by:
(GL)
AN ACT ALLOWING PERS ONS SIXTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER
TO OPERATE RIDES AT AMUSEMENT PARKS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 29-133 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 2
When used in sections 29-134 to [29-142] 29-143b, inclusive, as 3
amended by this act: 4
(1) "Amusement" means any circus or carnival presented in the open, 5
including a place where one or more rides or devices capable of 6
accommodating one or more passengers and normally requiring the 7
supervision or services of [an] a ride or device operator are presented 8
for amusement or entertainment purposes, and any circus, carnival or 9
other portable show or exhibition presented under any single tent, air-10
supported plastic or fabric or other portable shelter, and involving the 11
assembly of one hundred or more persons. "Amusement" does not 12
include an inflatable device leased for private residential use; 13
(2) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Consumer 14
Protection; 15
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(3) "Insurance Commissioner" means the state Insurance 16
Commissioner; 17
(4) "Grandstand" means any structure, either with or without a roof, 18
providing seating for one hundred or more persons; 19
(5) "Owner" means the proprietor, operator, agent or possessor of 20
such amusement; 21
(6) "Tent" means any structure with or without side panels having 22
wood or metal supports and using any kind of a textile or similar 23
material for coverage, and having a capacity sufficient to shelter one 24
hundred or more persons or covering a ground area of more than one 25
thousand two hundred square feet; 26
(7) "Ride or device operator" means the person in charge of a 27
mechanical amusement ride or device who causes such ride or device to 28
operate and has direct control of the starting, stopping or speed of a 29
mechanical amusement ride or device; and 30
(8) "Carnival" means a transient enterprise that offers portable 31
mechanical amusement rides or devices for public amusement and 32
entertainment purposes, but excluding any enterprise that offers the 33
lease of inflatable devices for private residential use. 34
Sec. 2. Section 29-143b of the general statutes is repealed and the 35
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 36
(a) Nothing in section 29-133 or 29-136 shall be construed to preclude 37
the hiring of a ride or device operator under the age of eighteen to 38
operate amusement rides and devices at a location other than a carnival, 39
provided (1) any such amusement ride or device operator is at least 40
sixteen years of age, and (2) an adult of at least eighteen years of age 41
who is trained in normal operating and emergency proce dures 42
supervises the area containing such amusement rides and devices. 43
(b) Nothing in section 29-133 or 29-136 shall be construed to preclude 44
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the hiring of certified lifeguards under the age of eighteen to oversee 45
aquatic rides and devices such as pools, water slides, lazy rivers, or 46
interactive aquatic play devices, provided an adult of at least eighteen 47
years of age who is trained in normal operating and emergency 48
procedures supervises the area containing such aquatic rides or devices. 49
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 29-133
Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 29-143b
Statement of Purpose:
To permit persons sixteen years of age or older to operate rides at
amusement parks, with certain requirements.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: SEN. BERTHEL, 32nd Dist.; REP. D'AMELIO, 71st Dist.
REP. RUTIGLIANO, 123rd Dist.
S.B. 186